Device for baking bread and method of employing same



P. L. COHEN Aug. 28, 1934.

DEVICE FOR BAKING BREAD AND METHOD OF EMPLOYING SAME Filed Aug. 28, 1953 Z??U/? for 1365-67-23. Q'o-iezu 7% v 7 Q Patented Aug. 28, 1934 DEVICE FOR BAKING BREAD AND METHOD OF EMPLOYING SAME Peter L. Cohen, Chicag'oQIll. y r Application August as; 1933, Serial No. 687,087 4 Claims. (01. 53-56) My invention relates to the baking of bread. It relates more in particular to the method of and apparatus employed in the baking of certain types of loaves such as the so-called old-fashioned rye bread.

"Certain problems are found in baking certain types of bread such as rye bread, Vienna bread, French bread, and other breads which are customarily baked directly upon'the hearth of an oven. 'In the old practice, this type of bread was produced by forming the dough into the general shape of a loaf, proofing it, and then placing it directly upon the hearth of the oven in contact with the bricks or other surface employed therein, without the use of any type of baking pan or the like. This method has certain disadvantages, principally in that the bread cannot be held in definite shape. The ends of the loaf particularly, due to gravitation of flow, become quite extremely pointed and as a result in a loaf of bread of ordinary length only a very few slices cut from the loaf will have substantially the same size. The ends are very narrow and the center is relatively thick. This produces two problems. When the bread is employed for sandwiches as, for example, in restaurants, there is considerable waste because the ends cannot be used. Further-- more, in recent years'there have been demands for ready sliced bread, the bread being delivered to the consumer wrapped in a waterproof package and already sliced. The usual slicing and wrapping machines cannot handle the ordinary oldfashioned rye loaf in the way that they handle the conventional white loaf. In an attempt to remedy this disadvantage, bakers have employed conventional types of baking pans for baking rye bread. I have found, however, that rye bread baked in a pan which surrounds it on five surfaces does not have the desirable rye flavor. The crust particularly is of a different character and is not .so tasty to those who have learned to appreciate old-fashioned rye bread. v Accordingly, the principal object'of my invention is to produce a loaf of rye bread which will have all of the advantages of the old-fashioned rye bread and can still be handled and used according to accepted modern practice.

Another object is the production of a loaf of rye bread having substantially the same crosssection from end to end. V

Another object is the production of a loaf of rye bread which can be sliced and packagedon the usual machinery with which present bake shops are equipped. 1 I

Anotherobject is the provision of a device adapted for use in the production of a loaf of rye bread of the character'described.

j Another object is the provision of such a device which will be adjustable for different sizes of loaves. j

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from a consideration. of the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the device employed 'in my invention with the bread supported therein on a proofing peel;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing the manner in which the device and bread are placed in the oven; e e

Fig. 3fisa perspective view showing a part of the'device;

" Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2 showing a detail of the device;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view partly in section showing a modification;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary perspective view show ing a featureof themodification;

Fig. 8 is an enlargedfragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7; and Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 99 of Fig. 6.

' When I describe the present invention as applying to rye bread, it is obvious that it may be employed in the baking of any type of bread which is customarily baked directly upon the hearth of an oven; For thisreason, wherever I refer to rye bread, therefore, it'is in a broad sense to in clude this type of loaf. In'carrying out my invention, I employ an improved device of my constructionadapted to engage the ends of the loaf but not any other portion thereof. This device is adjustable to produce loaves of any ordinary length required. The bread is formed'in loaves'set within the device so that the ends of the loaveswill engage the device, the device as well as the loaves being placed on a proofing peel and set into a proofing room to allow the loaves ,to rise- The peel is then employed to insert the unbaked loaves and the device together into the even, so that the loaves and device both rest directly upon the hearth of the oven. The loaves are bakedthen in the ordinary way and at the usual temperatures, and, whenbaked, the peel is then employed to remove the entire assembly from the oven.

have their ends secured to the end forming rails 10 and 11 and project into th e hollowirodslle, andi 16. The hollow rods near their ends arerp'rovided'.

with bosses 18 (see Fig. 5) into which serewslQ are threaded so as to engage solid rodsa'nd'posi tion them with respect tothehollQW-Jods, this way, each of the end rails 10 and 11 is, ad justable with respect to the center rail'"l2-, and so they can be adjustedfordifi erentlengthsof loaves. It" will" be understood that the, securing m ns may. e mQdifil' as e her t i bi dt nwa d r m the qtlsors l ways th refrom as appears most convenient. However, thepjojsition shown afiordsareadymeans of access; 'It Will be understood also that'the' screw 'IQQmay have any type of engaging headfiadapted tobe engaged byany suitable toolor 'fing ers.

The forming rails are formed","of afrela'tively thin material" having a high coeeflicientjof heat conductivity, and they, arefinishedwithfa bright, smooth, n on-corroding surface. Relativelyf thin alloy sheetsteel issuitable for the purpose, such 1 as stainless steel having a relativelylarg'e amount of chromium, alloyed with it, or the sheet may be plated or coated with a non-'corrosivematerial such as chromium, nickel or the like. However, I may'use ordinary sheet steel with good, results.

The top and sideedges. oftheforming rails are treated to avoid the prsence of a sharp edge.

, in'contact perfectly smooth. "Abead21 is'formed continuously along the bottom edge of both of the end forming rails. andthis, bead, is finished with an, arcuate. bottom surface so that the peelis readily'inserted thereunder, as shown in,Fi'g. 4-.

The center formingrail, ,asshow'n, has a double thickness with anope'n space 22between the two portions, a parting strip 23,b eing provided inthe center for positively maintainingthe twoportions of the 'r ails se'parated. I find thisis an important. feature because if a solid centerrail is used there wilbhotbe sufiicient heatfconductedto' the ends of, he av o p od a f t tl i w crust. The end rails 10 an llbeingrelatively thi w li n, e rsh wn prb ce'. aildtowfi well-.bakedjend crust. or heelon the loaf H In Figs 2 and +l=, I indicate the oven hearth 23 as a continuous member. Itwillbeunderstood that this is more..or less' a scne aue showing, as the oven hearthlr naybebricklaid iniin the usual'rnari-f her, a continuous refractory material, or, any surface or materialusedin, ovens for the hearth surface. s f Fig. lindicates an early step in the process with the forming, device and bread, suDlJbited, on proofing peel24. Those skilledinthe art,undenstand that afsuitableffdusting.fiouni suchlas corn m wi l' e nrie led srt pe ebe r theloaves areiplaced'oniit. The entireas'sembly, s. her i. n. 1; e he e ate i a b oofi room until the loavesareiready. to beplaced in the oven. The whole assembly is then placed in the oven and the proofing peel withdrawn. When the bread has been baked, a peel is again inserted under the entire assembly, including the forming device and baked loaves, and they are withdrawn from the oven together. Sometimes loaves baked in this way are cut by the baker; that is, just before theyare placed in the oven, a knife is drawn lightly across the top-of the'loaf atya suitable place and in a suitable directionsdthat in baking, the escape of gas will be controlled, and the development of the loaf will be improved. An

advantage of my invention is that the use of the forming-i devicefiwilli in no way interfere with treatmentiof the loaves by cutting or the like.

In themodification shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, I'enipl'o'y forming bafiles similar to the formto, the forming. baffles 1,9, and. 11; by frivetse29 Th j e sfin oi c atr shtensle wi h" t -mi e afi esi 't both s desttheret s and areada'pted o, engagewith, the straps 2,? which o h sid he rmies ba provided withholesadaptedto anyifoneof. the .holes 23 and ut f 'd d-f setur natbe strips together and, maintaining? the, balzi'ng dei nass'm ed atio s p C l a s 2- Q: a l oil. h t ap are oyedt n th ma ntr of keepers. to preventgthe projecting; portions of, the straps, 2,7 rrbm. separating. too faf mam str ps 2,6, It; is'obvlous that in the modification described, the. sameige neralprinciples employed in the firstembodiment are used. I Lhave described In invention'in detail; sothat thoseisk illed inthe art will understand howwto pract ce. e me. reinvention is imitedrhqwever ohly. by. the scope of, theappended claims.

Wha I- claim ew dd s e enot tb LettersPatentof the-United, States.. is: v 1. A,, baking device-.of the character described comprising al center rail and a,p a ir,.of endvrails for terial, a pair fof rods. extending. through the. cen;- ter,- rail and, secured. integral thereto, a,,-v pair, of rodsconnected, to each of the endY rails,;.and m a -fet dil te y att c i id s smdi enr nejtt wds t he I fi st me t ne s.- hereby allgottSaid forming rails; are maintained: parallel id-te h fe h ndr ils-may; be d ust d h respfiqt toqthe center rail g 2,11 .ba ns; evic a: hm te des i sd comprlsing. a; .c'enter rail 'anda of." ehdgrails formdfof relatively; thinv heat ,c'jonductinfg. ma; terial, a pair of -rodsextending.through-til cent tenrailand-secured; integral thereto, a of rods. connected toif each, of "the. end, ra ls, and meansfor adjustably attachingsaid second mentioned. rods tofthefirst mentioriedrods whereby all of said forming are, maintained p as 18, nd each. f; he. n a s may e diusted with respect to. the. center!; rail, said; center rail being formed double and. having fanfqpen air spacebetweenportions thereof, s 3 ak n e se 9 ra ter sit d, omp is ng, e 'te a l. a a; natpt mz als formed of relatively thin heabcondueting ma} ee weir timesen n tbree httha e ber ofperfor ations 23. These straps areriyeted .5 o re ati e 'm on uttinemar ter rail and secured integral thereto, a pair of rods connected to each of the end rails, and means for adjustably attaching said second mentioned rods to the first mentioned rods whereby all of said forming rails are maintained parallel and each of the end rails may be adjusted with respect to the center rail, said end rails having beads along their bottom edges whereby to permit insertion of a peel under the entire device.

4. A baking device of the character described comprising a center forming rail having a pair of relatively thin heat conducting partitions with air space between them, means for mainrodsto maintain the positions of the end rails with respect to the center rails.

PETER L. COHEN. 

